


A Little Misunderstanding

by thelongcon (rainer76)



Category: Fringe RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-31
Updated: 2012-10-31
Packaged: 2017-11-17 10:22:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/550533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainer76/pseuds/thelongcon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>RPF - tongue in cheek - no disrespect intended toward the actors or creators of the show.  Inspired by the season one out-takes, where Josh tried to 'American-ize' John's natural speech patterns.  Nothing explicit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Little Misunderstanding

She’d seen the paparazzi photos from Hawaii, a miss-matched bikini of black and blue, bracelets on both wrists, and a casual lope out of the waves; long legs eating up the surf - Anna catching up on some sun, warmth, out of Canada’s infernal cold for a change and unaware of the camera fixated on her - Gina had seen them. She was about to start filming on the series; of course she saw the candids. Saw, and paused, and also let her eyes trail down the length of Anna’s exposed body. She’d been nervous about the crew at the time, the morale, how she would be received this late in the game; galloping between excitement and a nervous dread because she’d always been claustrophobic - and a little known TV series with a fanatical fan base wasn’t helping matters - because those type of viewers = crazy loyal or scarily intense. Any new character was bound to be hated upon.   
  
Of the entire cast, Anna was the only person Gina hadn’t met. You-tube clips from old _Fringe_ episodes, re-runs of _The Secret Life of Us_ and of course, _The Pacific,_ had been Gina’s study companions when she was first offered the role. Josh – well, secretly she had watched _Dawson’s Creek_ as a kid – and she can’t look at him without smirking. Josh had rolled his eyes when he found out - she poked out her tongue, and Gina’s been mimicking his facial expressions ever since with the odd cry of ‘True Love, Pacey Witter! It always wins in the end!”  
  
Anna looks healthy.  Hawaii must have agreed with her, golden tan and her smile slow, lighting up her entire face. “George or Gina?”  
  
“Depends if you’re family or friend.”  
  
“Technically, we’re both.” Anna holds out her hand, the grip firm, thumb curling around Gina’s hand. “Welcome to the mad house.”  
  
***  
  
It’s not like she keeps the photos on her hard drive or anything, it’s just that Gina hasn’t cleaned out the browser history on her IPAD - the one item she loves beyond all measure, for the quiet moments in between takes - and she find herself thinking about them at odd times. “So you needed the holiday?”  
  
“After four years working here? When I saw the deal on the internet I was off like a bride’s nightie.”  
  
Josh, in full militia uniform, hat pulled low over his eyes and jackboots on, glances at them.  
  
“Where’d you end up staying?”  
  
“Beyond the black stump.  Some condo on the north shore. I can get you the details on the rental if you ever plan on visiting.” Anna stretches her neck, working the tightness out of her muscles as she sips from her water bottle. “It was good, secluded, but close enough to the beach for my pleasure.”  
  
“But no white pointers?” Gina demurs, teasing.  
  
Anna startles, she looks at Gina assessingly. “It didn’t seem safe.”  
  
“The chances of you being eaten in Hawaii are pretty slim,” Josh offers.  
  
Baffled, Gina tilts her head at him, because she saw those photos and she would have raised her hand and waved it vigorously if there was any eating to be done.   
  
“Right,” Anna says, slowly. “So, where are you from?”  
  
“Mexican. I don’t know, I thought about being a Banana Bender, stretch out and experiment for a little bit, concentrate on all the pleasures north.”  
  
“Are we talking about sex?” Joel asks, wandering by with a revised script in his hand and tearing at his hair.   
  
Josh shrugs elaborately and mouths _Aussies._  
  
“What?” Gina exclaims, staring after Joel, perplexed.  
  
“Ignore them,” Anna advises soundly. “I only went as far as the Coat hanger.”  
  
“That sounds…dangerous?” Josh tries valiantly and then winces when both girl’s blink at him. He looks a little relieved when John shambles up to them.  
  
“Have you read the script?” Noble exclaims. “Belly and Walter? Running through the tunnels – I thought I might have to break out my budgie smugglers.”  
  
“Joel wouldn’t be that cruel to us,” Anna teases. “And why is it no man over sixty wears board-shorts?”  
  
“Ageist.” John retaliates as snootily as he can, and then spoils it when he holds out box of donuts. Gina holds back, mostly because she’s the new girl on the block and manners count for something, until John shakes the box at her menacingly. “You eaten, dear?”  
  
“A dingo’s breakfast,” Gina admits.  
  
“Oh, good,” Lance says with relief, and snags the last donut as he joins them. “Because I’m starving. I haven’t eaten all morning.”

Forlorn, Gina stares down at the empty box, the specks of icing sugar left on the tray, and says.  "Bugger."  
  
“What are you doing on set?” Josh tips his hat back, plants his jackboots on the floor, and peers around John’s body to make eye contact with Lance.  
  
“Make-up. It takes dedicated work looking this old all the time.”  
  
“Not from my perspective,” John mutters sourly, and then pokes Josh in the thigh. “Give your daughter an apple,” he insists.  
  
“Are you certain this is going to be your last season of Fringe?” Gina asks in general.  She grins at Josh thankfully when he tosses her an apple from his lunch-box. Noble licks his fingers clean, one at time, and Gina, (staring at him), thinks there isn’t much difference between John and his alter ego after all.

“London to a brick,” he muses, softly  
  
“The ratings have never been our friend,” Lance elaborates. “Or at least, the Nielsen ratings have never been our friend.”   
  
Anna snorts, her voice modulated and a little too quiet. “The Nielsen ratings are as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.”   
  
“A final season is for the best, at least that way they can wrap up the story properly,” Josh says into the silence. “And seriously, if they bring any more Aussie’s onto this set, I’m going to need a translator.”  
  
“By the way, can you give me a ride to work tomorrow?” Noble snaps his fingers in Josh’s direction. “My car’s got a flat battery.”  
  
“The battery’s dead,” Josh corrects, automatically.  
  
“Oh, give it up.”  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> If you had a _???? _moment at any stage, then a rough run-down on aussie slang__  
>  Off like a bride's nightie - to move as quickly as you can  
> Mexican - someone from the south, Victoria or Tasmania  
> Banana Bender - a Queenslander, someone from the tropics  
> Beyond the black stump - the middle of nowhere  
> Budgie smugglers - men's bathing costume, a pair of speedos, tight on the crotch  
> the Coat hanger - Sydney Harbour bridge  
> a Dingo's breakfast - a yawn, a piss, and a _long _look around, i.e, no bloody breakfast.__  
>  London to a brick - absolute certainty  
> As useful as an ashtray on a motorbike - yeah…that one doesn't need explaining  
> White pointers - topless


End file.
